By Dr. Ikenna Ani
The year 2023 just like any other election year is ongoing, though not without its challenges as expected. However, what is remarkable is the high level of political participation by the residents and indigens of Enugu State like in many other States. As a result many notable politicians including Dr Martins Oke were all rejected by the people through the ballot.
This year’s election offered an opportunity for the electorates who were already fed up with the woeful performance, selfishness and arrogancy of most of their representative and leaders. They chose to pitch tents with some new crop of politicians, all thanks to the OBIdients movement.
This political revolution took many political actors by surprise and swept their foots off the ground.
Dr Martins Oke, who represented Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-uwani Federal Constituency in the 8 & 9th Assembly was a victim. He shamlessly went to election petition tribunals in a bid to thwart justice either by hook or crook, even when it’s crystal clear that the people of Igbo-Etiti/ Uzo-uwani Federal constituency rejected him due to his poor and abysmal performance over the years. Unfortunately for him he lost again at the tribunal which affirmed the victory of Hon. Stainless Nwodo as the people’s choice. A poor, humble and servant Leader ordained by God and chosen by his people to represent them.
Dr. Martins Oke who is oblivious of the realities of now should have accepted his fate and fall back as a political father and mentor in other to further uplift the living condition of his people, instead he chose to embark on a journey of futility to the Appeal Court.
In my opinion, I think he should respect the choice of his people and seek for other legitimate means of income elsewhere. Leadership is not by force. He would have known that his time has come and gone.
I am most baffled by his highest level of desperation. His alleged involvement in the sacking of some staff of Examination Development Centre (EDC) Enugu who failed to carry out his biddings of deleting the name of his successor Hon. Stainless Nwodo of the Labour Party from school records is still ringing bells on my head with bewilderment
He also, allegedly masterminded the immediate replacement of the registrar of the Centre who took over in the middle of the night to ensure that his plan is perfectly executed.
In a sane clime, these allegations should have been thoroughly investigated by the law enforcement agencies and all culpable individuals brought to book.
The question in my mind remains “why is Dr Martins Oke so desperate? Don’t he have life outside power? How far can he go just to cease power? Even to the extent of terminating the means of livelihood of an entire family. This is highly unacceptable, inhuman and barbaric. I wish to call on all the relevant security agencies and organs of the government to swing into action and do the needful. This old and expired politician should be properly investigated.
We need to build an egalitarian Enugu State where fairness, justice and equity is served to the high, low and mighty who deserves it. We cannot continue to promote and tolerate criminality, gangsterism and high-handedness in the state, especially now when the governor of the State, Dr. Peter Mbah is winning the war against insecurity, kidnapping and other social vices.
My candid advice to Dr Martins Oke is to borrow a leaf from the former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who has gone back to the drawing board to re-strategize and is currently doing community health outreach and other legitimate jobs. He should retrace his steps from this shameful shadow chasing and allow the young new leader to concentrate on his new job in other to meet the high expectations.
The people of Igbo-Etiti/Uzo-uwani Federal constituency can no longer tolerate, sit and watch Dr. Martins Oke distract our ligitimate representative, Hon. Stainless Nwodo. There is an Igbo saying that the old man does not eat a meat meant for the children (Okenye Adi ata Anu ntanta)
Dr. Ikenna Ani
Youth Alliance for Good Governance in Enugu State
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